Transform your perception of salads forever with this restaurant-quality Chick-fil-A Cobb salad, which proves that healthy eating can be both delicious and satisfying. This is a flavor-packed masterpiece that combines perfectly seasoned buttermilk-marinated chicken with creamy avocado ranch dressing, crispy bacon, and fresh vegetables.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The secret lies in the extended marinating process, which allows the buttermilk and pickle juice to tenderize the chicken while infusing it with deep flavor throughout. The avocado ranch dressing uses Hidden Valley seasoning as its base, then gets enhanced with fresh lime and taco seasoning for complexity. Charring the corn adds smoky sweetness that complements the tangy dressing, while the cheese blend provides richness without overwhelming the fresh vegetables.
Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad Ingredients
For the Buttermilk Chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Provide lean protein that absorbs marinades beautifully
- Dill pickle juice – Adds tangy flavor and helps tenderize the meat
- Buttermilk – Creates an incredibly tender texture while adding a subtle tang
- Powdered sugar – Balances acidity and aids in browning
- Salt – Enhances flavor and helps retain moisture
- Ground black pepper – Adds warmth and aromatic complexity
- Paprika – Contributes color and mild smoky flavor
- Garlic powder – Provides savory depth without overwhelming
- Onion powder – Adds sweet, aromatic background notes
- Celery salt – Gives a unique herbaceous flavor complexity
- Olive oil – Prevents sticking and aids in browning
For the Avocado Ranch Dressing:
- Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix – Creates the signature ranch base flavor
- Ripe avocado – Provides creamy texture and healthy fats
- Mayonnaise – Adds richness and helps achieve proper consistency
- Fresh lime juice – Brightens flavors and prevents avocado browning
- McCormick Mild Taco Seasoning – Adds complexity and slight spice
For the Salad Components:
- Butter – Used for charring corn to develop smoky sweetness
- Frozen corn kernels – Provide a sweet crunch when properly charred
- Romaine lettuce – Offers crisp texture and sturdy base for toppings
- Spring salad mix – Adds variety of textures and flavors
- Grape tomatoes – Contribute juicy sweetness and bright color
- Cooked bacon – Provides salty, smoky crunch throughout
- Monterey Jack cheese – Adds mild, creamy richness
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Contributes a sharp, tangy flavor
- Hard-boiled eggs – Supply protein and classic Cobb salad authenticity
Ingredient Substitutions
The ingredients for a traditional Cobb Salad are pretty well established, but feel free to make minor adjustments.
For instance, if you don’t want to go through the trouble of preparing the chicken breasts as described in the recipe below, you can use any boneless chicken, such as chicken nuggets or tenders. You can also use grilled shrimp as an alternative to chicken.
Chick-fil-A switched out the traditional blue cheese in their version of the Cobb Salad, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put it back in or opt for a different cheese altogether. Monterey Jack, Havarti, and Smoked Gouda would all make excellent additions to this salad.
Substitute the avocado ranch dressing with your preferred dressing for a Cobb salad. Some popular dressings for cobb salad are blue cheese dressing, Brown Derby cobb dressing, and Panera green goddess dressing.
Some people may wonder if the Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad is keto-friendly. Well, as written, it is not. However, by making some adjustments, such as modifying the chicken preparation method, omitting the corn, and selecting a different dressing, you can come much closer to a keto-friendly meal.
How to Make Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken, dill pickle juice, and buttermilk in a bowl or zip-top bag. Cover the bowl or seal the bag, then place it in the refrigerator. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for several hours.
- Grill the chicken. Heat a grill to 350 degrees or use a grill pan. Brush the grill with oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken on the grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Place the chicken on a cutting board to rest while you make the salad.
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the salad dressing.
- Place the Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix, avocado, mayonnaise, lime juice, and taco seasoning into a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Store the salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Place the corn into the skillet with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn begins to blacken. Remove the corn from the skillet.
- Place the romaine and spring salad mix into a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Divide the lettuce into two large salad bowls.
- To each salad bowl, add corn, grape tomatoes, bacon, and a hard-boiled egg.
- Sprinkle cheeses over each salad.
- Slice the cooked chicken breasts into strips and add them to the salads.
- Drizzle salad dressing over each salad before serving.
What Goes with Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad
A slice of fresh bread is all you need to make this recipe an entire meal. Of course, a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc wouldn’t hurt.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Assembly: Combine components just before serving to maintain optimal texture and prevent the food from becoming soggy. Assembled salads should be consumed within 2 hours.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store each component separately in airtight containers. Chicken keeps for 3 days, dressing for 2 days (watch for browning), bacon and eggs for 5 days when properly wrapped.
- Dressing Preservation: Press plastic wrap directly onto the dressing surface to prevent oxidation of the avocado. Discard if the color changes significantly.
More Chick-fil-A Copycat Recipes
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese
- Chick-fil-A Sauce
Popular Salad Recipes
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Grape Salad with Cream Cheese
- Green Goddess Salad
- Kale Brussels Sprout Salad
- Olive Garden Salad
- Pecan Chicken Salad
- Sauerkraut Salad
- Thai Noodle Salad
- Wendy’s Strawberry Salad
Check out more of my easy salad recipes and the best Chick-fil-A recipes here on CopyKat!
Chick-fil-A Copycat Cobb Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken Breast
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Mild Taco Seasoning
Cobb Salad
- 2 teaspoons butter
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups romaine lettuce washed, dried, and chopped
- 2 cups spring mix washed and dried
- 8 grape tomatoes
- 4 slices bacon cooked until crisp
- ¼ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 hardboiled eggs
Instructions
Grilled Chicken Breast
- First, marinate the chicken. Place the chicken, dill pickle juice, and buttermilk in a zip top bag. Place the bag in the fridge, and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for several hours.
- Next, grill the chicken. Heat the grill to 350°F, or use a grill pan. Brush the grill with oil. Remove the chicken from marinade and place the chicken on the grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F when you remove it from the grill. Place the chicken on a cutting board to rest while you make the salad.
Salad Dressing
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the salad dressing.
- Place the Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix, avocado, mayonnaise, lime juice, and taco seasoning into a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Store the salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge.
Cobb Salad
- Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Place the corn into the skillet. Add a tiny pinch of salt to the corn and cook, stirring occasionally until the corn begins to blacken. Remove the corn from the skillet.
- Place the romaine and spring mix into a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Divide the lettuce into two large salad bowls.
- To each bowl, add half of the corn, 4 grape tomatoes, 2 crumbled slices of crisp-cooked bacon, and 1 hardboiled egg.
- Sprinkle half of each cheese over each salad.
- Slice the cooked chicken breasts into strips and add them to the salads.
- Drizzle salad dressing over each salad before serving.
The chicken is soft and lemony, and the bacon adds a crunchy and delicious flavor. The purple cabbage adds color and sweetness. The dressing tastes like ranch a little bit, and it’s creamy and thick. It smells good too! The sweet lemon flavor compliments the grilled chicken, and it looks so impressive with the grill marks. This is way better than Chick-fil-A!
Great salad! Thank you!
This salad is very good. Thank You
I loved this salad! Thanks
The chicken is soft and lemony, and the bacon adds a crunchy and delicious flavor. The purple cabbage adds color and sweetness. The dressing tastes like ranch a little bit, and it’s creamy and thick. It smells good too! The sweet lemon flavor compliments the grilled chicken, and it looks so impressive with the grill marks. This is way better than Chick-fil-A!